HOLLYWOOD, July 21 (UPI) -- Tom Hanks will continue chronicling American historical conquests with a new project, "Charlie Wilson's War."
Hanks and Playtone partner Gary Goetzman have teamed with Universal to option the George Crile book, about how former Texas congressman Wilson persuaded the CIA to train and arm resistance fighters in Afghanistan, engineering a victory that hastened the fall of the Soviet Union.
Wilson, who was known as "Good Time Charlie," nearly saw his career end because of a hot tub tryst with cocaine-sniffing showgirls in Vegas.
Universal closed a deal Friday with CAA for the film and the studio. Hanks and Goetzman are eyeing "Band of Brothers" writer John Orloff, who's currently adapting Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" for Universal, to adapt.
Daily Variety said several bidders materialized but author Crile said they chose Playtone because of its passion for American history and because Hanks is ideal to play Wilson.
